29th March

Despite the general feeling of a much quieter day, another first for the Spring was recorded in the form of an Osprey high over the West Cliffs this afternoon. Other than this numbers were thin on the ground with little but the remaining Hoopoe and a Puffin off the Bill to spark much enthusiasm. Commoner migrants were in short supply but included a reasonable passage of hirundines, a smattering of phylloscs, six Wheatears, a WhiteWagtail, a Black Redstart and a Fieldfare at the Bill, a singing Firecrest at Weston and 2 more Black Redstarts at Reap Lane; 2 Short-eared Owls were also still lingering at the Bill. The sea produced little of note with 17 CommonScoter and five Red-throatedDivers through off the Bill and another Red-throated Diver settled off Chesil. In non-avian news the seeming bloom of BarrelJellyfish continued with six along the West Cliffs and a LargeTortoiseshell was briefly in Fortuneswell.